Xisusthrus

The name Xisusthrus, transliterated from Greek accounts of Babylonian history, likely derives from the Akkadian "Zi-u-sud-ra" or "Utnapishtim," meaning "he found life" or "he who has seen the dawn of life." This figure appears in the writings of Berossus, a Babylonian priest who wrote in Greek.

The Chaldean Noah, on the As.syrian tablets, who is thus descril)ed in the hi.story of the ten kings of Bero.sus. according to Alexander Polyhistor: "After the death of (the ninth "i Ardates, his .son Xisusthrus reigned eighteen sari. In his time ha])iiened a great deluge." "Warned by his deity in a vision of the forthcoming cataclysm. Xisusthrus was ordered by that deity to build an ark, to convey into it his relations, together with all the different animals, birds, etc., and trust himself to the rising waters. Obeying the divine admonition. Xisusthrus is shown to do precisely what Noah did many thousand years after him. He sent out birds from the vessel which returned to him again ; then a few days after he sent them again, and they returned with their feet coated with mud ; but the third time they came back to him no more. Stranded on a high mountain of Armenia, Xisusthrus descends and builds an altar to the gods. Here only, comes a divergence between the polytheistic and monotheistic legends. Xisns thrus, having worshipped and rendered thanks to the gods for his salvation, disappeared, and his companions ".saw him no more." The story informs us that on account of liis great piety Xisusthrus and his family were tran.slated to live with the gods, as he him.self told the survivors. For though his body was gone, his voice was heard in tlie air. which, after apprising them of the occurrence, admonished them to return to Babylon, and pay due regard to virtue, religion, and the gods. This is more meritorious than to plant vines, get drunk on the juice of the grape, and curse one's own son. Y. 1 • — The twfiity-tifth letter of the Eii<,rlish alphabet, and the tenth of the Hebrew — the Yod. It is the litera Pythar/orce, the Pythajjorean letter and symbol, signifying: the two branches, or paths of virtue and vice respectively, the right leading to virtue, the left to vice. In Hebrew Kabbalistic mysticism it is the phallic male member, and also as number ten, the perfect

The figure of Xisusthrus, encountered through the fragmented lens of Greek historians like Alexander Polyhistor relaying the Babylonian priest Berossus, offers a profound archetype for understanding cyclical destruction and renewal. Mircea Eliade, in his seminal work "The Myth of the Eternal Return," explored how flood myths across cultures serve as powerful symbols of cosmic dissolution and subsequent recreation. Xisusthrus, the Chaldean Noah, is not simply a passive recipient of divine warning; he is an active participant in a cosmic drama, tasked with preserving life and, implicitly, the divine order.

His ark, a vessel of survival, transcends its literal function to become a microcosm of the world, a sacred space where the essential elements of existence are safeguarded. The act of sending out birds, a motif echoed in numerous flood narratives, signifies a testing of the waters, a gradual re-engagement with a world reborn. The landing on a mountain, a frequent symbol of proximity to the divine and a place of revelation, further imbues the narrative with spiritual significance. Xisusthrus's subsequent sacrifice is an act of gratitude and a re-establishment of covenant, acknowledging the divine source of his salvation and paving the way for a new epoch.

For the modern seeker, Xisusthrus’s story speaks to the perennial human experience of facing overwhelming change and the need for inner fortitude and spiritual guidance. It reminds us that even in the face of what appears to be total annihilation, the seeds of rebirth are often carried within the ark of our own consciousness, guided by an inner deity or intuition. The myth invites contemplation on the nature of divine providence and humanity's role in preserving wisdom and continuity through periods of profound transformation. It is a narrative that underscores the cyclical nature of existence, where endings are invariably pregnant with new beginnings, if one has the wisdom to build the ark and the faith to set sail.

RELATED_TERMS: Noah, Manu, Utnapishtim, Matsya Avatar, flood myth, cosmic cycle, spiritual renewal